The Rose's Thorn
by EiriSeguchi
Summary: Kurama is left wounded just a month after confessing to the rocksolid Hiei his undefined and intence love for him. Hiei, after a mere week leaves Kurama for reasons of his own. Will their love survive? Find out!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

The Bleeding Rose

The tree served as good support. He was tired, cold, and wet. The rain was freezing. It felt much more like ice then rain. His hair, a flowing red that fell mid-back, was stuck to his face and shoulders. His green eyes watched his surroundings. The only thing he could hear was the pounding rain. The trees swayed with the rough wind, weaker trees seeming as if with any gust they could topple over. The cold wind whipped his purple and gold kimono about him, even though they were thoroughly soaked. The purple kimono soaked in not only the rain, but his own blood. The rain had, by now, made the piercing pain in his arm numb. His name? Well he technically had three. One, although was never used. One was Shuichi Minamono, one simply Kurama and the third was the one the name Kurama came from. He was merged with the legendary bandit Youko Kurama. A laugh rang in his head.

"Kurama, maybe you should rest a while." Youko stated, still chuckling.

"I do not need rest Youko." Kurama whispered.

The rain grew harder. He needed shelter from this freezing rain. After a bit more wandering he came to a shrine. It would serve as good shelter for now. It looked old, possibly unvisited. Kurama paid his respects to the deceased in the shrine and sat down. His left arm was rendered completely useless. It started to bleed again, the pain and warmth returning. He felt dizzy all over again. He sighed; blood loss was getting to him. Well, he had lost a lot of it. He wondered how much longer he could stay awake.

"Are you sure you do not wish my assistance?" Youko asked once more.

"I do not want your help. I'm fine. I'll stay alright as well…for Hiei." Kurama quietly replied.

The last thing Kurama heard was Youko's response of. "How noble.", and he drifted, the pain and heat finally overwhelming him.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The Third Eye Is Open

(So...Funny story. I forgot where the notebook that held this story is, so from here on I'm going to wing it ^_~' )

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The small demon had been wandering for what felt like days. He had remembered all the fox had said. "I love you Hiei Jaganshi...." He had tried to date Kurama.... Such a human thing....dating. But, within that time, they had been attacked. He had not seen him after that. He had left. The attack was his fault after all. He couldn't beleive that something like that....Oh what was he kidding, of course it was his fault.

He looked up at the darkened sky, a canvas of blacks, purples and blues, flecked with diamonds of white. A person could truly get lost in such a sight. But Hiei's mind was elsewhere. Where had the fox gone? Was he alright? He wouldn't know. It almost worried him. It was just then two demons came by, both covered in blood and talking. Hiei's interest was peaked and he stood, quickly moving into the trees around the two to listen in.

"Can you beleive it?" The first, and the ugliest demon said.

"Hell yeah I can. A silver fox! And with what we did to him, we'll find him again." The second replied.

"Yeah, that tracing plant will do wonderfully! And if that demon lives up to what she promised us, then we'll be golden!"

Both demons errupted in a fit of laughter that made Hiei feel sick. He knew they were talking about Kurama. Had they hurt him? The demons continued to laugh and talk of their sucess, but they weren't getting to the point! Hiei wanted to know what they had done to _his_ fox!

"What did that woman say the plant would do?" The first said.

"I dont know."

That angered Hiei and he jumped down in front of them.

"You are speaking of Youko Kurama. Explain to me what you have done." Hiei said, sword drawn.

"You must be that rat fire demon she warned us of. We're to kill you."

The fight only happened for a moment. Within the blink of an eye. 67 swipes to the first demon and 54 to the other. Both separated and fell, severed and dead. Looking to the crimson liquid, Hiei watched his own reflection. Closing his eyes he removed the headband covering his third eye, the Jagan. He thought of Kurama and where he could be.... God it had been years since he had seen the fox last. He needed to find him.

The Fox; however, had moved on from his shelter of the shrine and had found a town. He was now staying with a kind old lady who ran a flower shop. He slept upstairs. Unfortunately he had contracted a sickness and was unable to awaken. His whole arm was unable to move and it made his whole body cold. He was shaking and had a bad fever. The woman had closed the shop to take care of him. She seemed nervous and very scared. After Kurama whimpered, she hurried downstairs to get a wet cloth for Kurama's head. He whined once more, trying to move his arm, but it would not go. He looked out the window, the only sorce of light in the room. He was finding it hard to breathe and his heart nearly stopped when the blue haired vessel of Death came to the window. "B-Botan....N-no...does this mean?"

"Yes Shuichi Minamono....Kurama...You will be dieing soon."

He could feel the tears come to the corners of his bright green eyes. He couldn't die...not now. His heart was broken by Hiei and the plant within his arm, this form of a tracking plant, would eat him from the inside out. It would move through his body until it got to his heart...and he would die. And with Botan there...there was not much for hope.

_Hiei where are you..._

He thought that over and over and over again. He wanted Hiei there so bad....And maybe a kiss before his death......


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

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It hurt to see Botan floating at the window. But Kurama's heart had already broken. He no longer had hope for life, but dieing hadn't been in the plan.

But the chain of events that followed intrigued him. After Botan walked in Yusuke and Kuwabara, even Koenma had left his comforts and was in his more adult form. Genkai, even Genkai had come. It lifted Kurama's spirits again.

_"They are all here... Loyal friends for a loyal fox.. You should move the hope to them. Live for them." _Youko said.

"I'm not to fond of that" Kurama muttered.

_"And I, my friend, am not fond of dyeing."_

Kurama sighed with that and felt a sharp pain in his head and his vision when momentarilly white. He winced. Yusuke had hit him in the head, hard too. He had asked what that had been for, and Yusuke's response was heartfelt, well, for him.

"I did it cause you're stupid! You're a plant thing! You do that earth and plant movement, git it out!" He said. He looked angry and there was a small pout on his lips.

Kurama sighed once more. "I can not. I have tried Yusuke, I promise."

"Then why cant you!"

"Because I can not! I do not know! Not even Youko knows. This plant is going to eat me from the inside. It will stop my heart..."

No one looked pleased with that at all.

They carried conversation well into the night. Botan was surprized that Kurama was making it this far. She was sure that Youko was assisting. Kurama suffered from fever the whole time, and he started shaking just before it got dark. Genkai and Koenma left, as well as Kuwabara and Yusuke. It left only Botan. Just as Kurama closed his eyes to attempt a little rest, the window to the room swung open. It made his eyes shoot open, shifting to the window. It was, of course, empty. No one stood within its frame. The curtains blew with the breeze outside and the leaves from the tree just outside the window drifted through. He sighed and closed his eyes again. After a few minutes he felt an odd presance. This time, his green eyes opened slowly, connecting with a pair of crimson orbs, Hiei's eyes... Hiei was standing over him, and he didn't look pleased. "Botan is here, why" He asked simply. And Kurama simply replied. 

"I am going to die..."

"No you are not Fox..."

"Hiei...this plant will kill me, and if it does not, my heart may."

"No."

"Hiei..."

"You will live because I'm here Fox, and I'm not going away."

"Hiei..you just being here is not going to save me..."

"No, it will."

"Hiei...This plant will kill me."

"NO"

He had shouted that. It made Kurama jump and pain shoot through his system. Hiei wasn't happy. Not at all. They argued like that for a while until about midnight. It was then something Kurama would never forget happened. The fact he was dieing had caused a string of apologies from Hiei... Then, a tear. He didn't think Hiei even knew he did it. A tear lept from his face, crystalized, and landed on the arm the plant, which had broken skin in some places and was growing out, and caused Kurama to scream. Hiei jumped. Kurama writhed in pain and whimpered, a sudden burning sensation filled the, once cold, arm. He whined and tears formed in the corners of his eyes.

"What's wrong Fox?!?"

"I...I do not know! It burns! A-AHH!"

Hiei watched his back arch and his face curl in pain. He didn't know what he had done, but the plant shrunk in size.


End file.
